Improved infant s pedomotive



UNITED STATES EDWARD J. eonnAM,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF BANGOR, MAINE.

IMPROVED INFANTS PEDOMOTIVE.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that 1, EDWARD J. GORHAM, a resident of Bangor, in the county of Penobscot and State ot' Maine, have made a new and usel'ul in vent ion, which may be termed an lnt'ants Pedomotive 5 i and l do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following' s tiecilicatiou and represented in the accompanying drawings, ot' which- Figure 1 is a iop view, Fig. 2 a side elevation, and Fig. 3 a vertical section, of it.

'lhe purposes of my invent ion are not only to give support to a child or in tant While being taught to walk, but to preserve his legs in their normal or natural condition, or prevent them i'rom becoming crooked or bent at such time, and also lo serve as a means of tending the child, or remove more or less of the care ot' it from his parents, guardians, or others.

My said invention consists of an adjustable and elastic saddle or seat, or the same and a stand combined, made and arranged together, and provided with wheels or casters, substantially in manner and so as to operate as hereina l'ter described,

ln the drawings, A denotes the stand, which is composed ot' a circular ring, c, four legs, b b I) b, and their cross connectiorrbars c c e c, eich leg at iis foot being i'urnished with a caster, d, such asis usuallyv applied to atable or chair legs. rlhe legs flare outward as they descend, in order not only to prevent the stand from being overset by a child whenever such stand may be pushed against an obstacle, but to prevent the child from going in contact with a stone or other means of injuring him. l'he adjustable saddle B extends from one of the upper cross-bars, c c, to its opposite, and is com posed ot' a central seat, e, of leather or other proper material, and three elastic straps, fg g, attached to and radiating from it. One ot' the straps, f, is much longer than either of the rest ot them, the two shorter ones, gg, being fastened at their outer ends to one of the upper cross-bars. The longer strap eX- tends to and partially or halfway around the opposite cross-bar, and from thence is carried Abackward to and half-way around the rst not only attain elasticity of the seat Without danger of overstraining the straps, but We can take up or let out the longer strap as occasion may require in order to bring the infants feet in proper contiguity with or bearing upon the floor on which the apparatus may be resting at any time. Thus by means of the elastic and adjustable seat we can control the amount of Weight of the body of the child on his legs, for, by lowering or letting out the longer seat-strap, we shall throw more of the weight ot" the body on the legs of the child, and this can be done by degrees until the legs may have become sutliciently strong to bear the whole weight of the body. The elastic seat also alifords an agreeable means for the child to exercise himself by vertical movements.

By means of his feet the child can propel the pedomotive along over a floor or carpet, and thus move from one position to another, the ring c and the elastic sea-t serving to keep the child in place within the apparatus, as he is to sit on and straddle the seat or saddle with his legs depending therefrom.

I do not claim a baby-walker composed not only ot' a stand to encompass and support the child, but one or more straps to go around its waist, the same being as shown in the Patent No. 16,862; nor do l claim any invention either as referred to or described in Patent No. 16,942, for a strap to go around the Waist of a child is an impediment to the proper action of his lungs, stomach, and other internal organs. In my invention the child is supported on a spring saddle or seat so made as to enable him to sit upon and straddleit, the spring being Within and making part of the seat and not separate from it; and, furthermore, it is adjustable `in a peculiar manner and for the purpose as described, it being supported in and afxed to cross-bars extending across the frame and some distance below its annular top, which supports the arms of the child.

I therefore claim- My improved infants pedomotive as constructed, with 'its saddle made and arranged within and applied to the stand substantially in manner and so as to be adjustable as hereinbefore described.

' EDWARD J. GORHAM.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr. 

